Here is a brief look at the political careers of the most popular political parties in the 2023 presidential race:
Kashim Shettima of APC
Nigeria’s ruling party, APC, last week announced Kashim Shettima as the running mate to presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu. The two-term former governor of Borno State is also the current senator representing Borno Central in the Senate. Although the Boko Haram insurgency plagued his time as the state’s governor, Kashim Shettima won several awards in his time as governor, including Governor of the year.
Yusuf Datti Ahmed of Labour Party
Tolling the line of Southern-Northern pairing, Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi selected Yusuf Datti Ahmed as his running mate. In 2003, Yusuf Datti Ahmed won the Federal House of Representatives seat for the Zaria Federal Constituency, Kaduna State. In 2011 he won the senatorial election for Kaduna North. Nigerians knew him for opposing President Olusegun Obasanjo run for a third term in 2006.
Ifeanyi Okowa of PDP
The People’s Democratic Party (PDP), unlike its other contenders, had announced Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa as the running mate to presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar days before INEC’s June 17th deadline. Ifeanyi Okowa’s political journey started from the lowest level of government and has since risen to the national level. He served as a one term Senator of Delta South Senatorial District in 2011 before attaining the governorship status in 2015. His eight-year tenure ends in 2023, just in time for the 2023 presidential election.
Isaac Idahosa of NNPP
Bishop Isaac Idahosa is the senior pastor of God First Ministry, popularly known as the Illumination Assembly. The Lagos based preacher received a UN Peace Ambassadorial award for his many contributions to human growth and peaceful coexistence via evangelism and Pentecostalism.